Trolley-stand.



No. 792,903. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. F. N. KELSEY.

TROLLEY STAND.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.14,1905.

UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OEETEE.

FRANK N. KELSEY,

OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- TROLLEY-STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,903, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed April 14:, 1905. Serial No. 255,500.

To all who/rt 17/ may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK N. K ELSEY, aciti- Zen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, havoinvented a new and useful Improvement in .lrolley-Stands; andI do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the numerals of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a top or plan view of a trolleystand constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, a sectional view on the line a 7) of Fig. 1; Fig. 4:, a top or plan vicw of a modified arrangement of the auxiliary tension-spring.

This invention relates to an improvement in trolley-stands that is, a device arranged upon the top of a car and containing a socket to receive the trolley-pole, by which electric connection is with the overhead trolley-wire. It is desirable, not to say essential, that the pressure of the trolley-wheel upon the trolley-wire should be uniform; but the distance between the top of the car and the trolley-wire variesas, for instance, when the trolleys are run beneath bridges. In the usual arrangement as the trolley-pole approaches the horizontal the pressure upon the wire increases, and hence unnecessary strain is placed upon the overhead wire and unnecessary wear upon the trolley-wheel. Another objection to trolleystands is the distance which the stands project above the top of a car.

The object of this invention is to provide a stand whereby uniform pressure of the trolley-wheel upon the trolley-wire may be maintained and so arrange the parts that a very low stand is secured; and the invention con sists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

In carrying out my invention I employ the usual base 2, which is secured to the top of a car, on which base the frame 3 is swiveled in any desired manner, so that it may be free to rotate thereon, and electrical connections are made in the usual way, one of the wires 25 being shown as connected to the base 2. At its rear end the frame is formed with two rearwardly and downwardly extending arms 4 5, between which the socket 6 is pivoted, this socket being adapted to receive and hold the trolley-pole 7, which may be held in place in any desired manner. In its forward face the socket is formed with a forwardly-projecting linger 8, which is adapted to bear upon the top of the frame 3, so as to limit the forward movement of the socket, and above this linger is a book 9 for the purpose, as will hereinafter appear. The frame 3 extends horizontally rearward and is provided with plates 10 and 11, between which spring-rods 12 and 13 are arranged, on which are mounted main tension-springs 14 and 15. Also mounted on the rods and so as to slide thereonis a springcarrier 16, which consists of a plate perforated for the clearance of the spring-rods and adapted when drawn rearward to compress the springs. This carrier is adjustably mounted upon an adjusting-rod 17, extending centrally through the rear plate 11 and through a guidelug 18, extending upward from the center of the frame, the rod being free to move through the plate 11 and lug 18 and provided at its rear end with a hook 19 to' receive one end of a chain 20, the other end of which is engaged with the hook 9 on the socket 6.

Mounted in the plates 10 and 11 and between the rods 12 and 13 I arrange rods 21 and 22, corresponding to the rods 12 and 13 and carrying auxiliary tension-springs 23 and 24, corresponding to the tension-springs 14 and 15, but shorter than those springs, and therefore shorter than the normal distance between the plate 10 and the spring-carrier 16.

The adjusting-rod 17 will be arranged in proper location with'respect to the carrier 16 to give the required tension to the trolleypole. As the trolley-pole is turned downward the rod 17 is drawn rearward and freely slides through the plate 11 and lug 18, and as the carrier 16 is rigidly secured to the rod it moves with it and compresses the springs 14. and 15, and the tension of these springs is such as to give the required pressure of the trolley-wheel upon the trolley-wire. It will be seen that if the pole is depressed or as it approachesa horizontal position the leverage will decrease, and consequently the pressure of the trolley-wheel upon the trolley-wire would decrease; but as the pole approaches the horizontal position the carrier is moved rearward and comes into engagement with the ends of the auxiliary springs 23 and 24, this making increased resistance and imposing that much tension upon the trolley-pole, overcoming the loss of leverage, and so maintaining the same pressure as before. Thus the pressure of the trolley-wheel upon the trolley-wire is uniform whatever position the trolley-pole may assume, thus obviating any unnecessary strain ,upon the overhead wires due to uneven pressure or to the unnecessary Wear upon the trolley-Wheel due to friction, owing to any increased pressure.

Instead of arranging the auxiliary springs between the main tension-springs it is apparent without illustration that the springs might be reversed and the main tension-springs arranged between the auxiliary springs. It is also apparent without illustration that more than two auxiliary springs might be arranged between the main tension-springs, or, if desired, the frame could be increased in length, so as to provide space between the spring-carrier 16 and the lug 18 for a coiled spring 25 upon the adjustable rod 17, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exact construction shown, as an auxiliary spring adapted to be brought into action as the pole approaches a horizontal position might be arranged in various Ways.

It will be seen by hinging the socket to the frame that in the downwardly-turned arms a very low stand is produced.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described trolley-stand comprising a base, a frame swiveled thereto, a trolley-pole socket pivotally connected at the rear of said frame, horizontal springrods mounted in said frame and carrying tensionsprings, a spring carrier mounted in said frame and brought into connection between said carrier and pole, whereby the movement of the pole imparts movement to the said carrier, and an auxiliary spring normally out of engagement with said carrier but adapted to be engaged by said carrier and retard the movement thereof as the pole approaches a horizontal position, substantially as described.

2. A trolley-stand comprising a base, a frame swivelly connected therewith, said frame formed with rearwardly extending lugs, a socket pivotally connected between said lugs and adapted to have a trolley-pole clamped thereto, said frame supporting horizontally arranged spring rods and horizontally-arranged auxiliary spring-rods, tensionsprings mounted on said rods, a carrier also mounted on said rods and adapted to compress said springs, auxiliary tension-springs mounted on said auxiliary rods, said auxiliary springs being shorter than the main tension-springs, and an adjusting-rod connected with said carrier, and connections between said adjustingrod and socket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FRANK N. KELSEY.

WVitnesses:

FREDERIC O. EARLE, CLARA L. WEED. 

